taxes

Carla Bruni got all emotional on French radio this morning as she spoke of her husband's legal woes. Some say she was playing it up! Meanwhile, Nicolas Sarkozy himself was in Brussels discreetly poking fun at the French tax system. Also, gay marriage becomes a battle on Facebook.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is now under formal investigation for his alleged role in the "Bettencourt Affair". The French papers would have been wall-to-wall Sarkozy if the news hadn’t broken before bedtime last night. Some found space, though, for the woes of current president François Hollande, who has been forced to lower his flagship 75% tax on the rich.

The French papers are marking the two year anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, as journalists ponder how the anti-nuclear movement has fared since then. France’s finances are still cause for concern: the government’s trying to trim spending, while the prospect of an unpaid bill looms in Brussels.

When it comes to efficiency, France generally pales in comparison to Germany. But if there is one thing that works better here, it is family policy. France has a much higher birth rate than its mighty neighbour, thanks to generous benefits for parents and children. But with zero economic growth and a commitment to slash debt and deficits, the government is considering reducing a number of welfare programmes, including the sacrosanct family benefits.